Pill King Gu He

"Letting him keep hiding like this won't do. Call him out and ask what he wants." After pondering for a moment, Yao Chen revealed a playful smile and instructed Huo Yuhao to call Gu He out for an honest meeting.

"Alright."

Huo Yuhao raised his voice. "Senior, please show yourself so we may speak."

No one answered.

Seeing that the other party had no intention of revealing himself, Huo Yuhao loosely clenched his right hand and drew a small stone up from the ground. With a casual flick, he sent it precisely into the trunk of the giant tree where Gu He was hiding.

Having been exposed, Gu He could only reveal himself.

A handsome middle-aged man in a fitted dark robe flew out from the tree and slowly descended before Huo Yuhao and the others. His expression was serious and composed, while a hint of sharp competence showed between his brows.

"Since you young friends insist on inviting me, I have no choice but to show myself." Gu He smiled faintly and nodded to them. Then he introduced himself. "I am Gu He, a Sixth Grade alchemist."

"You're Pill King Gu He?" Xiao Yan exclaimed deliberately, a perfectly timed look of admiration appearing on his face.

"It is merely the generous praise of others. I do not deserve the title of Pill King." Gu He spoke humbly, but there was a trace of pride in his expression. In a remote place like the Jia Ma Empire, becoming a Sixth Grade alchemist at such a young age truly gave him reason to be proud.

After Huo Yuhao and the others gave brief introductions as well, Gu He swept his gaze over them and got straight to the point. "Where is your master? I have a transaction I wish to discuss with him."

"Uh, no one is with us. Senior Gu He, why would you think someone is following us?" Xiao Yan naturally could not expose Yao Chen. He put away his feigned admiration, replaced it with a bewildered little expression, and began playing dumb.

"Impossible! Without an elder nearby to guide you, how did you discover me?" Gu He frowned deeply.

"Senior, you did not conceal your soul power. This junior happened to sense it," Huo Yuhao offered as an excuse.

"This..." Gu He was momentarily speechless, though the suspicion in his eyes remained.

"Senior Gu He, you came to the Magic Beast Mountain Range..."

Seeing that Gu He was still somewhat doubtful, Xiao Yan took over the conversation, flattering Gu He while steering the topic elsewhere.

As Xiao Yan's string of compliments left Gu He's mind a little blank, Yao Chen's voice directly rang out in Huo Yuhao's mind.

"Looks like he was merely passing by and only decided to follow you on a whim."

"Teacher, won't Gu He notice you speaking like this? He is an alchemist, after all, and his soul power is not weak."

"He is only Sixth Grade. He is still far from worthy." Yao Chen's voice was disdainful. "Besides, neither Xiao Yan nor Xiao Yi Xian knows how to restrain their mental power, which also interferes with this 'Pill King.' In this situation, even if you used Mental Sharing from this distance, Yuhao, he would not detect it."

Through his conversation with Xiao Yan, Gu He developed some goodwill toward the clever and exceptionally gifted boy. The thought of taking him as a disciple immediately became active in his mind. However, mindful of his reputation as the Pill King, he did not want to bring it up first and make himself seem overly eager. Thus, he tested the waters.

"You little fellows are indeed exceptionally talented. It is rare for geniuses to cultivate themselves to such a level."

Xiao Yan caught the implication behind his words and replied, "Senior, you misunderstand. We do have a teacher, but he requires us to train on our own, so he did not accompany us."

Gu He's expression darkened, and his tone turned dissatisfied. "Nonsense. Do you know what kind of place this is? Your teacher is being far too irresponsible."

For the moment, he set aside the thought of taking disciples and began weighing whether he should bring these children along. Gu He had come to the Magic Beast Mountain Range to obtain a Beast Flame, preferably a sixth-rank one. Bringing these children would undoubtedly be a burden, but leaving them here in the core region of the Magic Beast Mountain Range would practically be sending them to their deaths.

Heh! Yao Chen sneered inwardly. Watching Gu He, his eyes shifted as he began considering how to arrange things for him.

Huo Yuhao looked at the angry Gu He and sensed his emotions, discovering that beneath the irritation were worry and hesitation.

At that moment, Yao Chen's voice sounded in all three of their minds. "Ask about his purpose. We'll find an excuse to follow him."

"Master?" Xiao Yan was somewhat confused. He had been considering how to send Gu He away.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao stepped forward, drawing Gu He's attention.

"Senior Gu He, why have you come to the Magic Beast Mountain Range?"

"I came to find a suitable Beast Flame." Gu He was still conflicted over whether to bring these children along, so he casually stated his true purpose.

Yao Chen continued, "Perfect. Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian also need a Beast Flame. That boy is here for the same purpose. We can make use of him."

"Huh? How?" Xiao Yan did not understand.

"Why don't you think of something?"

Xiao Yi Xian's voice rang out. "The Seven-Colored Poison Manual records a medicinal liquid that is colorless and odorless, but after taking another kind of medicinal powder, one can smell an extremely pungent scent that lingers for a long time. I made some a few days ago. We can use it to track him."

"Uh, wouldn't he notice?"

Gu He had no idea that the little fellows before him were making arrangements for him in their minds. After struggling with the matter for a while, he ultimately could not bear to leave them wandering around the Magic Beast Mountain Range. He decided to escort them out first before searching for a Beast Flame.

"How about I escort you out of the Magic Beast Mountain Range?"

"Thank you, Senior Gu He, but our training is not yet complete. We intend to help Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian each find a Beast Flame as well." Huo Yuhao declined Gu He's proposal.

"In that case... you should follow me." The hesitation vanished from Gu He's expression as he compromised inwardly. This time, he would settle for a fifth-rank Beast Flame. Bringing them to provoke a sixth-rank magical beast was still too dangerous. Next time, he could invite Yun Yun along and obtain a sixth-rank Beast Flame then.

"Thank you, Senior." Huo Yuhao and the other two thanked him together.

With Gu He, a Dou Wang, joining them, the journey became much safer. Most magical beasts were frightened away by his aura, while the few stubborn ones were casually slain by Gu He.

"Master, how are we supposed to train with him here? And if we find medicinal ingredients suitable for Yuhao, what if he tries to take them?" Xiao Yan asked silently in his mind.

"What are you afraid of? You have your teacher."

At that moment, an abrupt change occurred. A fourth-rank Fire Cloud Leopard, perhaps having gone mad, perhaps believing Gu He's strength had declined from consuming Dou Qi, or perhaps simply confident in its own speed, ignored Gu He, the Dou Wang, after he had just dealt with a magical beast and become slightly separated from Huo Yuhao's group. It charged directly toward its target—"three little snacks."

"Not good!" Seeing that the Fire Cloud Leopard was targeting Huo Yuhao and the others, Gu He flew into a rage. He swiftly mobilized his Dou Qi and clenched his hand. Dou Qi condensed in his palm into a longsword, its blade burning fiercely with pink flames.

"Thousand-Flame Net!"

With an angry shout, Gu He sharply flicked his wrist and swung the longsword in his hand. A massive net woven from flames descended toward the Fire Cloud Leopard.

Gu He's reaction could not have been faster. Judging by the Fire Cloud Leopard's momentum, the flaming net should have covered it just as it reached Huo Yuhao and the others. As long as the three of them dodged back slightly, this crisis would pass without danger. Once the Fire Cloud Leopard was bound, handling a mere fourth-rank magical beast would be effortless for a high-level Dou Wang like Gu He.

Yet what Gu He had not expected was that Huo Yuhao did not retreat. Instead, he waved his hand and fired a beam of emerald-green light.

[Ice Emperor's Wrath]!

The beam struck the Fire Cloud Leopard. The beast clearly had no time to react and remained in its pouncing posture as a layer of frost appeared over its body. Its forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, and it slid across the ground by inertia alone, leaving behind an icy trail.

The instant Huo Yuhao attacked, Xiao Yan needed no reminder. He exerted force through both legs, and an explosive crack sounded beneath his feet as his body shot forward. When he threw his punch, his muscles and bones rang in unison—this was Eight Extremes Collapse at the major completion stage. At the same time, Heaven and Earth Origin Qi gathered around his swinging arm, mixing with the wind from his fist to form a vortex.

"Whirlwind Eight Extremes Collapse!"

This Dou Technique had been inspired by Xiao Yan's earlier descent from the sky to shatter the Crimson Ice Serpent. Since then, he had spent his spare time studying how to use the Qi Control Art to unleash Whirlwind Force. After this period of training, with all kinds of magical beasts serving as sparring partners, Xiao Yan had finally completed this "Whirlwind Force" and combined it with Eight Extremes Collapse.

Bang! The Fire Cloud Leopard had only just broken through the ice and was still somewhat dazed when Xiao Yan's fist smashed viciously into its relatively vulnerable nose. It staggered back two steps and let out a painful low growl.

Unfortunately, Xiao Yan had only just broken through to a four-star Dou Zhe. This punch caused virtually no damage to the Fire Cloud Leopard; it merely made the still-dazed beast even more confused after thawing out.

Just then, a pulling force came from the backs of Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan's waists. Xiao Yi Xian had rapidly retreated while Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan attacked, then used the Qi Control Art to tug the two of them back after their attacks ended. Borrowing that force, Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yan quickly pushed off the ground with their toes and retreated.

The Fire Cloud Leopard had yet to recover from being knocked back when Gu He's flaming net came whistling in from behind, binding its body. Immediately afterward, a pink flaming longsword shot in from behind and plunged viciously into the Fire Cloud Leopard's head.